CLEVELAND, April 28 (UPI) -- The Cleveland Clinic and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are joining forces to raise awareness about deep brain stimulation.
The Cleveland Clinic's Center for Neurological Restoration will hold a Washington conference May 6 to focus on the impact DBS, or brain pacemakers, can have on people with neurological disorders and disabilities. Topics will also include improving access to care, encouraging medical innovation and research and examining ethical considerations.
DBS is approved for Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and dystonia. But officials said data are emerging regarding its benefit in treating patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and, most recently, traumatic brain injury.
"We are approaching a defining moment in the neurological field," said Dr. Ali Rezai, director of the Center for Neurological Restoration at the Cleveland Clinic. "This is the beginning of a new era for treating neurological and psychiatric disorders. DBS technology continues to improve, and we are encouraged by the results in patients."
The conference will take place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington,
More information is available at www.ccfcme.org/dbs.
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